Blyth Spartans Association Football Club is a
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club based in
Blyth, Northumberland
Blyth () is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne. It has a population of about 37,000, as of 2011.
The port o ...
. They are currently members of and play at
Croft Park
Blyth Spartans Association Football Club is a football club based in Blyth, Northumberland. They are currently members of and play at Croft Park.
They were founded in September 1899 by Fred Stoker, who was the club's first secretary before f ...
.
They were founded in September 1899 by Fred Stoker, who was the club's first secretary before forming a practice as a distinguished physician in London's
Harley Street
Harley Street is a street in Marylebone, Central London, which has, since the 19th century housed a large number of private specialists in medicine and surgery. It was named after Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.< ...
. He thought it appropriate to name the team after the
Greek Spartan army in the hope that the players would give their all as they went into 'battle' on the field of play. The club is most notable for its
1977–78 FA Cup
The 1977–78 FA Cup was the 97th season of the world's oldest knockout football competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup. The final saw Ipswich Town beat Arsenal 1–0, with a goal from Roger Osborne.
First round proper
...
campaign, in which they went all the way to the fifth round, eventually losing to
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
in a replay at
St James' Park
St James' Park is a football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. With a seating capacity of 52,305 seats, it is the eighth largest football stadium in England.
St James' Park ...
.
History
In the beginning, the club played only friendly matches before joining the
East Northumberland League
East Northumberland League,
Football in Northumberland
1894 establishments in England
1910 disestablishments in England
Defunct football leagues in England
Sports leagues established in 1894
Sports leagues disestablished in 1910 ...
in 1901. The first recorded honour was a league success in 1901 followed by further victories in 1905–06 and 1906–07. The club then joined the
Northern Football Alliance
The Northern Football Alliance is a football league based in the North East, England. It has four divisions headed by the Premier Division, which sits at step 7 (or level 11) of the National League System.
The top club in the Premier Division ...
, remaining there for six seasons winning the league in 1908–09 and 1912–13.
In 1913 the club moved upward joining the ranks of the semi professionals in the
North Eastern League
The North Eastern League was an association football league for teams in the North East of England.
The league was founded in 1906 and was initially successful, with teams defecting from the rival Northern Football Alliance to play. Although som ...
and remained there until this league folded in 1958. The fierce competition meant that honours were few and far between. However they won the league in the 1936–37 season and the league cup in 1950 and again in 1955. After the demise of the North Eastern League the club tried their luck in the
Midland League
The Midland Football League is an English football league that was founded in 2014 by the merger of the former Midland Alliance and Midland Combination. The league has four divisions that sit at levels 9–12 of the football pyramid.
History
Th ...
and
Northern Counties League
The North Eastern League was an association football league for teams in the North East of England.
The league was founded in 1906 and was initially successful, with teams defecting from the rival Northern Football Alliance to play. Although s ...
, both ending when the leagues folded. The early 1960s saw the revival of the North Eastern League with the club doing quite well. However the league suffered many problems and eventually folded for good.
The club was now at a loss for a suitable semi-professional league and in 1964 decided to turn amateur and join the ranks of the
Northern League. During the 29 years the club were members their record was second to none, winning the Championship on 10 occasions and being runners up 5 times. However, a new regime at the club were keen to progress up the league pyramid and a successful push ended with promotion to the
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Divisio ...
in the 1993–94 season.
Rise up the pyramid
The club's first season in the Northern Premier League was memorable, winning the First Division Championship and the Unifilla First Division League Cup. Since gaining promotion the club has held its own in the Premier division, finishing 6th and 7th in its first two seasons as well as lifting the President's Cup defeating former Conference side
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port in the Borough of Halton in Cheshire, England. Its population in 2011 was 61,789. The town is in the southeast of the Liverpool City Region, with Liverpool to the northwest across the River Mersey. ...
in the final.
Following this success the executive looked firstly to John Charlton (son of
Jack Charlton
John Charlton (8 May 193510 July 2020) was an English footballer and manager who played as a defender. He was part of the England national team that won the 1966 World Cup and managed the Republic of Ireland national team from 1986 to 199 ...
) followed by Paul Baker as team managers but they were unable to continue this success, disappointing fans.
Harry Dunn's success and the Conference North
Harry Dunn was appointed as manager for the second time in October 2004. In 2005–06 Dunn and his assistant Graham Fenton led the Spartans to win the Northern Premier League Premier Division as well as the Northern Premier League Chairman's Cup and the Peter Swailes Memorial Shield, and with it promotion to the Conference North.
In their first season in the Conference North, Blyth cemented themselves in the top half of the table whilst even enjoying a brief stint in 1st place. The season ended with Blyth narrowly missing out on a playoff position on the final day finishing 7th.
However the next season, Blyth found themselves at the opposite end of the table although some wins towards the end of the season (including a 2–0 win against future Champions, Kettering Town) saw Blyth preserve their Conference North status. The third season was a similar story with Blyth struggling for much of the season but wins towards the end of the season again avoided relegation. A relatively comfortable 15th-place finish did not reflect the battle against relegation which had preceded it.
After two successful campaigns to preserve Conference North status, the 2008–09 season saw the end of Harry Dunn's second spell at Croft Park. No time was wasted in appointing his successor and on 9 May former Hartlepool United, Darlington & Sheffield United Reserves Manager Mick Tait took up the post for his second spell in charge at Croft Park.
Relegation and decline
It was announced in May 2011 that then
Whitley Bay
Whitley Bay is a seaside town in the North Tyneside borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It formerly governed as part of Northumberland and has been part of Tyne and Wear since 1974. It is part of the wider Tyneside built-up area, being around eas ...
assistant manager Steve Cuggy would take over as manager. He along with his assistant Gavin Fell made a complete overhaul of the squad that summer, letting popular players such as Robbie Dale leave. After initial excitement following a good pre-season, the performances on the pitch were extremely poor. However Blyth just got into the FA Cup 1st round after beating
Droylsden
Droylsden is a town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England, east of Manchester city centre and west of Ashton-under-Lyne, with a population at the 2011 Census of 22,689.
Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, in the ...
2–1 at home in the 4th qualifying round replay before losing 2–0 to rivals
Gateshead
Gateshead () is a large town in northern England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle to which it is joined by seven bridges. The town contains the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Sage ...
. Following defeat by
Halifax Town
FC Halifax Town is a professional association football club based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. They currently compete in and play at the Shay. They replaced Halifax Town A.F.C., which went into administration in the 2007–08 season. ...
Steve Cuggy left the club in December. Later that month, former Newcastle United player Tommy Cassidy took charge but the poor performances continued. Finally, on 24 March 2012, Blyth Spartans had their first ever relegation confirmed after a 1–0 home defeat to
Gloucester City.
The following pre-season saw Blyth lose quality players who were not replaced. The season started with mixed results and after very early exits from the FA Cup & the
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...
, Cassidy was sacked. In October under caretaker manager Paddy Atkinson poor performance continued including an 8–1 away defeat to
Worksop Town
Worksop Town Football Club is an English football club based in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. As of the 2021–22 season the team plays in the . They are nicknamed ''The Tigers'' and play their home games at Sandy Lane in Worksop.
History First clu ...
. On 8 March Paddy Atkinson resigned.
Tom Wade era
On 12 March 2013 it was announced that a further caretaker manager, Tom Wade, would be in post until the end of the season. After some improved results, in early April Wade was given a contract extension for the 2013–14 season. That summer Wade brought in promising youngsters including Rob Nolan and Dean Holmes from
North Shields
North Shields () is a town in the Borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It is north-east of Newcastle upon Tyne and borders nearby Wallsend and Tynemouth.
Since 1974, it has been in the North Tyneside borough of Tyne and Wea ...
. In early August Arran Wearmouth signed from
Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland () is a market town and civil parish at the confluence of the River Wear and the River Gaunless in County Durham, northern England. It is northwest of Darlington and southwest of Durham.
Much of the town's early history surro ...
for a fee of £1500. In the 2014–15 season the Spartans won the Northumberland Senior Cup and played against Championship side
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
in the third round of the FA Cup.
In the 2015–16 season, despite frustrating displays in almost every cup competition, the Spartans proved to be the dominant side in their league. However, even having reached the impressive 99-point mark, they were beaten to the title by
Darlington 1883
Darlington Football Club is an association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team competes in the National League North, at the sixth tier of English football.
The club was founded in 1 ...
and lost the play-off semi-final to
Workington A.F.C.
Workington Association Football Club is an English football club based in Workington, Cumbria. The club competes in the Northern Premier League Division One North West, the eighth tier of English football.
The club plays its home matches at Bo ...
which ended 4–3 to the away team. Ten days later, Blyth lost 4–3 again, this time to
Northern League side North Shields in the Northumberland Senior Cup Final at
St. James's Park
St James's Park is a park in the City of Westminster, central London. It is at the southernmost tip of the St James's area, which was named after a leper hospital dedicated to St James the Less. It is the most easterly of a near-continuous ch ...
.
After a heavy 4–2 home defeat to
Morpeth Town
Morpeth Town Association Football Club is a football club based in Morpeth, Northumberland, England. They are currently members of the and play at Craik Park.
History
The club was established in 1909. They joined the Northern Alliance in 193 ...
in the
2016-17 FA Cup
16-17 is a band from Basel, Switzerland. Their music combines punk rock, hardcore punk, jazz and Industrial music, industrial music.
Biography
16-17 was founded in 1983 by Alex Buess, Knut Remond and Markus Kneubühler. When the group play ...
, Wade resigned. Former professional footballer
Alun Armstrong
Alan Armstrong, known professionally as Alun Armstrong, is an English actor. He grew up in County Durham in North East England, and first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began ...
took over the managerial position.
Alun Armstrong
The club announced on 22 September 2016 that former
Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.
The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...
striker Alun Armstrong was appointed as manager following Wade's resignation. His first three games as manager weren't pretty but also weren't a preview of what the rest of the season would look like for Blyth, as the Spartans would never again in the 2016–17 play three consecutive games without a win. In fact, they managed two 12-game runs without recording a single defeat. In the first one, which lasted from the beginning of 2017 until the dying days of February, the Spartans won all of their twelve games, scoring 44 goals and conceding a mere 11. The run was ended by fellow title contenders (and ultimately second-place finishers and play-off winners)
Spennymoor
Spennymoor is a town and civil parish in County Durham (district), County Durham, England. It is south of the River Wear and is south of Durham, England, Durham. The civil parish includes the villages of Kirk Merrington, Middlestone Moor, Byers ...
. They clinched the league title at home against
Halesowen Town
Halesowen Town Football Club is a football club based in Halesowen, West Midlands, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Grove Recreation Ground.
History
The club was believed to have been established around 1873, but rec ...
with three games to spare. Blyth finished in first place with 101 points, two more than the previous season and 14 ahead of the runners-up. The
Evo Stik Northern Premier League title was Armstrong's first title was a manager, followed just a few days later by his second, the Northumberland Senior Cup, whose final was a replay of the previous year's, this time ending in a 3–2 win for the Spartans.
The success achieved by the club in the 2016–17 season meant that the Spartans were once again promoted to the
National League North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
, five years after their relegation in 2012.
In late 2018, Blyth Spartans made worldwide news for signing a sponsorship deal with
North Korean travel company Visit North Korea, the move attracted controversy from some commentators due to the country's human rights record.
Lee Clark
On 1 June 2019, Blyth Spartans announced the appointment of former
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
and
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
midfielder Lee Clark as their new manager. Clark has past Football League experience managing the likes of
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
and
Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The team have played home games at the Kirklees Stadium since moving from Leeds Road in 1994. The ...
. Under Clark, Spartans lost their first four league matches of the season, before picking up a point at Bradford Park Avenue.
Graham Fenton
The club announced via their official website on 16 August 2022 that Graham Fenton had been appointed as the club's first team manager, initially on a two year deal.
Fenton has previous experience as a
striker in the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
and in the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
. It was at his retirement that he moved in to management and has served his time at several non-League clubs in the north east, including
North Shields
North Shields () is a town in the Borough of North Tyneside in Tyne and Wear, England. It is north-east of Newcastle upon Tyne and borders nearby Wallsend and Tynemouth.
Since 1974, it has been in the North Tyneside borough of Tyne and Wea ...
and
South Shields
South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. Historically, it was known in Roman times as Arbeia, and as Caer Urfa by Early Middle Ages. According to the 20 ...
, before being sacked by the latter on 6 January 2022.
Women's football
During the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
women working in factories and on the docks played football, including a team in the Spartans' colours and using their ground, variously known as the Blyth Spartan Ladies FC and the Blyth Spartans Munitionettes, with
Bella Reay as the star player. The team was never beaten, playing 30 matches, winning 26 and drawing 4.
[BBC World War One at Home]
Croft Park, Newcastle: Blyth Spartans Ladies FC They continued until 1921 when women's football was banned from its grounds by the FA
In 2001 a Blyth Spartans Ladies team was again formed, but despite considerable success closed in 2009. The team had won the
Northumberland Football Association
The Northumberland Football Association is a governing body in the historic county of Northumberland, England. The association was formed in 1883. It is responsible for the governance and development of football at all levels in the county.
...
Women's Cup Final in May 2008, scoring 4–2 against Whitley Bay Ladies. A significant problem was lack of financial support for the team to travel to matches.
[www.thejournal.co.uk Blyth]
Spartans Ladies football team to close
FA Cup exploits
Blyth Spartans have reached the first round proper of the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
31 times; the second round 14 times; the third round 4 times, the fourth and fifth rounds once.
1977/78
Blyth reached the fifth round of the FA Cup in
1977–78. Having beaten
Chesterfield
Chesterfield may refer to:
Places Canada
* Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan
* Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom
* Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England
** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...
and another non-league side,
Enfield F.C.
Enfield Football Club is an English football club that is currently a member of the . The club plays its home matches at Woodside Park in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, which it shares with owners Bishop's Stortford F.C. Traditionally bas ...
, in the second and third rounds respectively, they managed to beat
Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
(who had recently been relegated from the top flight) in the fourth round. The club were then drawn to play away at
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
(whose victory over
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
denied Spartans a tie against their
North East neighbours) where they drew 1–1. Blyth would have won the tie but for an unusual sequence when referee Alf Grey ordered a Wrexham corner retaken owing to a technical infringement, enabling
Dixie McNeil
Richard "Dixie" McNeil (born 16 January 1947) is an English former footballer and manager, who played as a striker.
Playing career
As a schoolboy, McNeil signed for Leicester City after playing for the local club Holwell Works, but he was re ...
to score a very late equaliser for the Welsh club. The replay took place at Newcastle United's
St James' Park
St James' Park is a football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. With a seating capacity of 52,305 seats, it is the eighth largest football stadium in England.
St James' Park ...
where, watched by a crowd of 42,167, Blyth eventually went out, losing 2–1, meaning they missed out on a home tie with
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
.
The 1977-78 FA Cup run qualified Blyth to compete for the 1978
Debenhams Cup
The Debenhams Cup was one of several short-lived football competitions introduced in the 1970s and 1980s, along with the Watney Cup, Texaco Cup, Anglo-Scottish Cup, the Super Cup and Full Members' Cup. It lasted for just two seasons ( 1976–77 an ...
, a
Two-legged tie
In sports (particularly association football), a two-legged tie is a contest between two teams which comprises two matches or "legs", with each team as the home team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum o ...
played between the two teams from outside the top two divisions of the
English football pyramid
The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the Isl ...
who had progressed furthest in the FA Cup. Blyth again faced Wrexham and triumphed tie 3-2 on aggregate, having first won 2-1 away in Wales and drawing 1-1 at home in the return fixture. The match at Croft Park was the final game ever played in the short-lived existence of the Debenhams Cup and Blyth therefore remain current holders of the cup. The trophy was returned to Croft Park in 2019 having been lost at
Debenhams
Debenhams plc was a British department store chain operating in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and grew to 178 locations across those countries, also owning the Danish ...
head offices for 41 years.
1980/81
In 1980, Blyth played
Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Kingston upon Hull, Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that compete in the . They have played home games at the MKM Stadium since moving ...
in the second round which saw two replays, the latter of which was played at
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road S ...
's
Elland Road
Elland Road is a football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Premier League club Leeds United since the club's formation in 1919. The stadium is the 14th largest football stadium in England.
The g ...
.
1995/96
Blyth's next memorable cup run came in their first season as a
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Northern Premier League is an English football league that was founded in 1968. It has four divisions: the Premier Division (which stands at level 7 of the English football league system), Division One East, Division One West and Division ...
club in
1995–96, when they travelled to high flying Division Three side
Bury
Bury may refer to:
*The burial of human remains
*-bury, a suffix in English placenames
Places England
* Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village
* Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire
** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...
and won 2–0. In the second round, Blyth again were on their travels this time to Division Two side
Stockport County
Stockport County Football Club are a professional association football, football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they wer ...
where they lost 2–0.
1997/98
In
1997–98, under the managership of
John Burridge
John Burridge (born 3 December 1951), nicknamed Budgie, is an English former goalkeeper who is now working with Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters as their goalkeeping consultant and senior goalkeeping coach for their goalkeeping academ ...
, Blyth travelled to Second Division side
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...
. A memorable first round proper game saw Blackpool run out 4–3 winners with a last-minute winner.
2008/09
It was 11 years before Blyth reached the 1st round again, but finally in
2008–09 they hit the cup trail again. Qualifying round wins against
Whitby Town,
Buxton
Buxton is a spa town in the Borough of High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It is England's highest market town, sited at some above sea level. and
Sheffield FC
Sheffield Football Club is an English football club from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, although now based in nearby Dronfield, across the county boundary in Derbyshire. They currently compete in the . Founded in October 1857, saw Blyth reach the first round for the first time since 1997. A home tie against
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
promotion chasers
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
saw
Croft Park
Blyth Spartans Association Football Club is a football club based in Blyth, Northumberland. They are currently members of and play at Croft Park.
They were founded in September 1899 by Fred Stoker, who was the club's first secretary before f ...
host league opposition for the first time since 1981. The result matched the occasion as Blyth ran out comfortable 3–1 winners.
The second round saw Blyth travel to
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
strugglers
AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest division of English club football. Formed in 1899 as B ...
, who included
Darren Anderton
Darren Robert Anderton (born 3 March 1972) is an English former professional footballer and pundit.
As a player, he was a midfielder who notably played in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham City. His twelve-year spell with ...
amongst their players. A hard-fought 0–0 draw on the south coast saw Blyth take Bournemouth back to Croft Park, where
Ged Dalton
The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of four subject tests which, when passed, provide certification that the test taker has United States or Canada, Canadian high school-level academic skills. It is an alternative to the ...
put them through to the third round with a last-minute winner. Both games were shown live on
Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports is a sports television company based in Dublin, Ireland broadcasting throughout select Eurasian. The company was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events to international audiences. The company previo ...
.
In the third round, Blyth played
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
opposition competitively for the first time in their history when they welcomed
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
to Croft Park. In a game again covered live by
Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports is a sports television company based in Dublin, Ireland broadcasting throughout select Eurasian. The company was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events to international audiences. The company previo ...
, Blyth fell to a 1–0 defeat with the only goal coming via a direct free kick from Chilean player of the year
Carlos Villanueva in the 59th minute. A win would have ensured a tie with North East neighbours
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
at the
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England, and the eighth and current home to Sunderland A.F.C. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light is the ninth largest football stadium in England. ...
.
2014/15
In
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, the Spartans once again went all the way from the first qualifying round into the third round proper. In the first qualifying round, Blyth drew 0–0 at
Darlington 1883
Darlington Football Club is an association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, England. As of the 2022–23 season, the team competes in the National League North, at the sixth tier of English football.
The club was founded in 1 ...
and won 3–0 at home with a goal from Robbie Dale and a brace from Dan Maguire. Blyth were then drawn to
Skelmersdale United
Skelmersdale United Football Club is a football club from Skelmersdale, Lancashire. They are currently members of the and play at The Community Ground, Burscough. The club is a member of both the Liverpool F.A. and the Lancashire County Footb ...
away. Despite a poor league record, Blyth went on rampage to win 4–1. The Green Army had to once again travel to watch the Spartans as they were drawn away at
Mickleover Sports. After 90 minutes of play during which it seemed there was going to be a replay at Croft Park,
Jarrett Rivers scored an injury time goal to send the Spartans into the fourth qualifying round. The draw away at
Leek Town meant another long trip for the Blyth supporters. Blyth won 4–3 after a cracking game which included an injury time penalty miss by Leek's Kinsey.
In the first round proper, Blyth were drawn at home to
Altrincham
Altrincham ( , locally ) is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, south of the River Mersey. It is southwest of Manchester city centre, southwest of Sale and east of Warrington. At the 2011 Census, it had a population o ...
. That was their first home draw in the 2014–15 FA Cup. The home crowd of 1,763 saw a performance that at times brought doubts as to which team was two levels above the other. Braces from Dale and Maguire left the fans delighted with a 4–1 win that would take Blyth to the Second Round Proper for the fourteenth time in their history.
In the second round proper, Blyth travelled along the North Coast to
Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system.
They were founded in 1908 as Hartle ...
. The
League Two
The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...
side controlled the game in the first half but a magnificent free-kick by Turnbull and yet another ninetieth-minute goal by
Jarrett Rivers turned the game around for Blyth. The memorable upset was shown live on the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
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.
Blyth were drawn at home against
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
, which was controversially described by Stephen Turnbull as "a bit of an anti-climax", for him and every Spartans supporter hoped for a
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
club. After two
Nikola Žigić
Nikola Žigić ( sr-cyr, Никола Жигић, ; born 25 September 1980) is a Serbian former footballer who played as a centre forward.
Žigić was born in Bačka Topola, in what was then SFR Yugoslavia. He began playing football as a youngs ...
chances for the Blues, Blyth took control of the match and Dale scored twice in the first half. Blyth had a 2–0 lead at the interval and hopes for another Spartans’ FA Cup upset were gigantic.
Luís Figo
Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo (; born 4 November 1972) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a winger for Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan. He won 127 caps for the Portugal national team, a one-ti ...
famously started to follow the official Blyth Spartans Twitter feed. However, Birmingham would go on to score three goals in six minutes to end the North East side's hopes of reaching the fourth round for the second time.
Notable FA Cup games
* 1971–72 Round 1:
Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, that competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' because of ...
0–1 Blyth Spartans
* 1971–72 Round 2: Blyth Spartans 1–0
Stockport County
Stockport County Football Club are a professional association football, football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they wer ...
* 1971–72 Round 3: Blyth Spartans 2–2
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of Letter (alphabet), letters, symbols, etc., especially by Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process invo ...
* 1977–78 Round 2: Blyth Spartans 1–0
Chesterfield
Chesterfield may refer to:
Places Canada
* Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan
* Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom
* Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England
** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...
* 1977–78 Round 4:
Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
2–3
Blyth Spartans
Blyth Spartans Association Football Club is a football club based in Blyth, Northumberland. They are currently members of and play at Croft Park.
They were founded in September 1899 by Fred Stoker, who was the club's first secretary before fo ...
* 1977–78 Round 5:
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
1–1 Blyth Spartans
* 1977–78 Round 5 (replay): Blyth Spartans 1–2
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...
* 1995–96 Round 1: Bury 0–2 Blyth Spartans
* 1997–98 Round 1: Blackpool 4–3 Blyth Spartans
* 2008–09 Round 1: Blyth Spartans 3–1
Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of English football. The club plays its home games at the New Meadow, having mo ...
* 2008–09 Round 2:
AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth () is a professional association football club based in Kings Park, Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest division of English club football. Formed in 1899 as B ...
0–0 Blyth Spartans
* 2008–09 Round 2 (replay): Blyth Spartans 1–0 AFC Bournemouth
* 2008–09 Round 3: Blyth Spartans 0–1
Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is a professional football club, based in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, which competes in the , the second tier of the English football league system. They have played home matches at Ewood Park since 1890. T ...
* 2014–15 Round 1: Blyth Spartans 4–1 Altrincham
* 2014–15 Round 2:
Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system.
They were founded in 1908 as Hartle ...
1–2 Blyth Spartans
* 2014–15 Round 3: Blyth Spartans 2–3
Birmingham City
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Since 2011, the first te ...
Croft Park
![Port of Blyth Stand, Croft Park](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Port_of_Blyth_Stand%2C_Croft_Park.jpg)
Blyth play their home games at Croft Park, which was opened by Mrs Clarke of
Bellister Castle,
Haltwhistle
Haltwhistle is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, east of Brampton. It had a population of 3,811 at the 2011 Census.
Stone-built houses are a feature of Haltwhistle. It is one of two settlements in Great Britain which c ...
on 1 September 1909. The first match was a friendly against
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
which ended in a 4–2 defeat.
In 2003 Croft Park underwent an extensive redevelopment which saw much of the ash terracing levelled and replaced with concrete terracing. New dugouts and a wheelchair enclosure were also added. Further developments have been made to meet full Conference North criteria. These developments include extending the Port of Blyth main stand roof to cover the bottom tier which has had seats installed, building a roof over the Plessey Road terrace, providing cover for 1100, and building three new turnstiles at the Princess Louise Road end.
Following the 2008–09
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
run, some of the money raised was spent on covering the Kingsway Terrace. For the first time Croft Park is now covered on all four sides. The pitch has also been moved by a metre to improve the view from the terraces. And the old goal posts have been taken down and replaced with new modern equipment.
To celebrate Croft Park's centenary Blyth played a Newcastle United side, the team who provided its first opposition. Just like the first game the result finished 4–2 to Newcastle United.
Redevelopment
Phase One
In 2003 Croft Park underwent an extensive redevelopment which saw much of the ash terracing levelled and replaced with concrete terracing. New dugouts and a wheelchair enclosure were also added, earlier work carried out had seen two new stairways added to improve access to the seating tier of the Main Stand. These replaced the old central stairway which would often cause congestion next to the team tunnel after full-time. Even before this the Main Stand has seen improvements with the old wooden benches replaced with plastic seats obtained from
Newcastle United
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
.
Phase Two
At the end of the 2006–07 season Croft Park underwent further developments to meet full
Conference North
The National League North, formerly Conference North, is a division of the National League in England, immediately below the National League division. Along with the National League South, it is at the second level of the National League Sy ...
criteria. These developments include extending the Port of Blyth main stand roof to cover the bottom tier which then had seats installed, and to ensure the views from these seats are unhindered the dugouts were repositioned at the side of the stand.
Along with this a roof was erected over the Plessey Road terrace providing cover for about 1,200. This stand is now sponsored by
Carlsberg Carlsberg may refer to:
Places
* Carlsberg (district), a district in Copenhagen, Denmark
** Carlsberg station, its train station
* Carlsberg, Germany, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
* Carlsberg Fjord, Greenland Other uses
* Carlsbe ...
.
Three new turnstiles were also built at the Croft way end.
Phase Two was completed in 2009 with another new roof added over the Croftway terrace similar to the one over the Plessey End. The ageing West stand (sponsored by Cramlington Caravans) is also being refurbished to extend its life span by another 6 years.
The stands
Wheelchair Enclosure
Small covered enclosure provided by Artic Windows. Has space for three wheelchairs and is elevated to provide good views of the pitch. Access is via a ramp and is located next to the disabled toilets. Located just to the side of the Main Stand.
Port of Blyth (Main) Stand
Two tier all seater stand and mostly under cover (about 30 seats in the open and just over 530 covered), runs about a quarter the pitch length. Houses the changing rooms, kit room, sponsors' lounge, study support centre, players' lounge, directors' box, press seating and offices.
Tynetec Stand
Southernmost stand and covered, has the formerly imposing Patterson House residential care home just behind it. Can hold about 1,200 on eight steps of terracing. Formerly sponsored by Carlsberg (2007–2010), it is now sponsored by Tynetec.
Fergy Space Stand
The oldest stand at Croft Park, over 70 years old. Located opposite the Port of Blyth Stand on the west side of Croft Park. It has been said it has its own rather chilly micro climate because of the lack of direct sunlight it receives.
Provides cover for about 1,200, the terracing is a lot shallower than the rest of the ground and has views restricted by concrete walls on either side which close off former ash terracing.
Formerly sponsored by Dunston-based Federation Brewery which is where its usual name – 'the Fed Shed' comes from. Now sponsored by Cramlington Caravans although it is still sometimes referred to by its former name.
The stand is currently undergoing refurbishments.
24 Seven Claims Stand
Covered terrace located at the northern end of Croft Park and just off Kingsway Road (which runs parallel to Princess Louise Road). Identical to the Plessey Road Terrace in that it has eight steps of terracing and can hold about 1,200. There are also another couple of turnstiles behind this terrace but these are closed off and unused.
The areas at the side of the Port of Blyth Stand and the Broadway Stand are flat uncovered standing areas.
Current squad
Notable former players
Honours
*Debenhams Cup
** Winners: 1978
*East Northumberland League
** Winners: 1903–04, 1905–06, 1906–07
*Northern Alliance League
** Winners: 1908–09, 1912–13
*North Eastern League
**Winners: 1935-36
**Runners Up: 1922-23
*North Eastern League Cup
**Winners: 1950-55
**Runners Up: 1936-37
*Northern League
**Winners: 1972–73, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1986–87, 1987–88
**Runners Up: 1971–72, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1984–85, 1993–94
*Northern Cup
** Winners: 1972–73, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1984–85, 1991–92
*Northern Premier League
**Premier Division: 2016-17
*Northumberland Senior Cup
**Winners: 1914, 1915, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1952, 1955, 1959, 1963, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1992, 1994, 2015, 2022
**Runners Up: 1923, 1924, 1927, 1931, 1933, 1949, 1950, 1960, 1973, 1976, 1983, 1984, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016
*Northumberland Minor Cup
** Runners Up: 1905-06
*Cairns Cup
**Winners: 1905–06, 1906–07
**Runners Up: 1904-05
*Tynemouth Infirmary Cup
**Winners: 1908–09, 1909–10, 1932–33
**Runners Up: 1904-05
*Tyne Charity Shield
**Winners: 1913-14, 1925-26
**Runners Up: 1909–10, 1926–27
*Northumberland Aged Miners Homes Cup
** Winners: 1909–10, 1911–12, 1919–20, 1936–37, 1938–39
*Northumberland Aged Miners Homes Cup
**Winners: 1920-21
**Runners Up: 1924–25, 1937–38
*J.R. Cleator Memorial Cup
** Winners: 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1992
*Beamish Trophy
**Winners: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997
**Runners Up: 1996
*UniBond Premier Division Champions
** Winners: 2005-06
*UniBond First Division Champions
** Winners: 1994-95
*UniBond Presidents Cup
** Winners: 1996-97
*UniBond Chairman's Cup
** Winners: 2005-06
*Peter Swailes Memorial Shield
** Winners: 2005-06
*South Tyneside Football Benevolent Fund Gazette Cup
** Winners: 1995-96
*Radio Luxemburg Trophy
** Winners: 1977-78
*Texo Challenge Trophy
** Winners: 2019-20
*Ronnie Swan Challenge Cup
** Runners Up: 2009, 2015
*Northumberland County Council Unification Shield
** Winners: 2010
*CEFO CFS Challenge Trophy
** Runners Up: 2021
*Northern Combination League Cup
** Winners: 1968-69 (Reserves)
*Northern Football Alliance Division 2
** Winners: 2017-18 (Reserves)
*Munition Girls' Challenge Cup
** Winners: 1917-18 (Ladies)
*Northumberland Football Association Cup
** Winners: 2008-09 (Ladies)
Managers – past & present
References
External links
*
Supporters' websiteLadies doing it for themselvesabout the Women's Team
*
{{coord, 55, 07, 15.07, N, 1, 30, 40.31, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title
Association football clubs established in 1899
Football clubs in England
Football clubs in Northumberland
Blyth, Northumberland
1899 establishments in England
East Northumberland League
Northern Football Alliance
North Eastern League
Midland Football League (1889)
Northern Football League
Northern Premier League clubs
National League (English football)